Vehicle-wheel



(No Mode.)

E'. H. HARRIS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

No.4'03,346. Y Patented May 14, 1889.

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N. PETERS, Phnlo-Lhhagmphnr, Wishingnn, D. C.

ilNrTED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. HARRIS, OF AUBURNDALE, OHIO.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 403,346, dated May 14:,1889. Application filed October 2,'1888. Serial No. 286,948. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK H. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Auburndale, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement invehicle-wheels; and the invention has special referenceto that class ofVehicle-wheels constructed of metal with wire spokes.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction of the hub, incombination with the n ovel means for securing the Wire spokes thereto,all as more fully hereinafter described, and set forth in the drawings,in which- Figure l is a vertical central cross-section of avehicle-Wheel embodying my improved construction. Fig. 2 is across-section of a vehicle-hub with my improvement slightly modiiied.Fig. 3 is a detached perspective of the parts of the hub, as shown inFig. 2;

and Fig. 4L is an enlarged perspective view of the inner end of a wirespoke, as constructed in accordance with my invention.

A is the hub, B are the Wire spokes, and C is a rim, of an ironvehicle-wheel of known construction, except as to devices employed forsecuring the spokes to the hub and which embody my invention. Theseconsist inflattening the inner ends of the spoke in such manner as toform the Wedge-shaped dovetail, as shown at c in Fig. 4, in detail, suchdovetail being tapered in two planes at right angles to each other andin inverse directions to each other, and may be accomplished by pressingor swaging the ends of the spoke between suitable dies. To secure thespokes thus prepared to the hub, I provide radial spoke notches c ofexactly corresponding shape with the ends of the spokes, or onlyslightly shallower, upon the outer end of the hub, insert the ends ofthe spokes therein, and clamp them by means of a cap, E, firmly securedto the hub by means which exert a clamping action against the spokes. Tothis end I provide the hub with a spindle-box, d, which projects fromthe end of the hub, and

which is screw-threaded and engages into a corresponding screw thread inthe cap E. Furthermore, I preferably form an annular recess, c, in theinner face of the cap, so that when the cap' is secured upon the hub thepressure brought against the spokes is concentrated upon a small portionof the spokes, which are thereby held firmly in place.

Instead of the screw-thread engagement between the thimble-boX and thecap, the construction shown in Fig. 2 may be used, wherein thethimble-box is smooth on the outside and iits into the aperture of thecap. By rivet-heading the spindle-box upon the end of the cap it is thenrmly secured.

It will be noticed that my spoke-notches are formed entirely in the hubof the wheel and have to be of such shape relatively to the dovetailformed on the inner end of .the spokes as to prevent the withdrawal ofthe spokes, and at the same time to present the outwardly-extended faceof the dovetail in proper relation to the clamping-face of the cap tosecurely clamp the spoke.

My construction is applicable to the differcnt styles of wheels-that is,to the Wheel constructed as shown in Fig. 1, which is two rows of spokesinclined to the rim, or to the style of wheel shown in Fig. 2, which isprovided with only one row of radial spokes. In the former constructionboth ends of the hub are provided with the means for securing itsrespective row of spokes, and, if desired, in the construction shown inFig. 2, the hub A may be provided with a rim corresponding to the rim hof the cap.V

Vthat I claim as my invention isl. A vehicle-wheel composed of the hubprovided with the radial spoke-notches c, tapered, as described, andslightly shallower than the ends of the spokes, the spokes having theirinner ends iiattened to form a Wedgeshaped dovetail, said dovetail beingtapered in two planes at right angles to each other and in inversedirections to each other, and the cap E on the spindle of the hub, andhaving a iiat vertical bearing on the flattened portion of the spokes,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a vehicle-Wheel, the combination,with

the wire spokes B of the wheel, of a dovetail, A

a, formed on the inner end of the spokes and tapering inversely to eachother in two planes at right angles to each other, the hub of theWheelprovded upon its end with radial spokenotehes corresponding withthe dovetail formed upon the ends of the spokes, or slightly shallower,the cap E, provided with an annular recess, e, upon its inner face, andthe spindle-box on the hub, as the means for securing and clamping thecap to the hub, subro st antially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses,this 10th day of September, 1888.

'FRANK H. HARRIS. \Vtnesses:

A. E. KLAUSER, HUGH F. SHUNCK.

